The regulation of chromosome separation during mitosis is not fully understood yet. Microtubules forming mitotic spindles are targets of treatment strategies which are aimed at (i) the triggering of the apoptosis or (ii) the interruption of uncontrolled cell division. Despite these facts, only few physical models relating to the dynamics of mitotic spindles exist up to now. In this paper, we present the first electromechanical model which enables calculation of the electromagnetic field coupled to acoustic vibrations of the mitotic spindle. This electromagnetic field originates from the electrical polarity of microtubules which form the mitotic spindle. The model is based on the approximation of resonantly vibrating microtubules by a network of oscillating electric dipoles. Our computational results predict the existence of a rapidly changing electric field which is generated by either driven or endogenous vibrations of the mitotic spindle. For certain values of parameters, the intensity of the electric field and its gradient reach values which may exert a not-inconsiderable force on chromosomes which are aligned in the spindle midzone. Our model may describe possible mechanisms of the effects of ultra-short electrical and mechanical pulses on dividing cells--a strategy used in novel methods for cancer treatment.

Institute of Computer Integrated Manufacturing for Sustainable Innovation Department of Innovative Technologies University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland Manno Switzerland

Institute of Photonics and Electronics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague Czechia

Institute of Photonics and Electronics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague Czechia ; Department of Electromagnetic Field Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University Prague Prague Czechia

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PLoS One. 2019 Jan 28;14(1):e0210897. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210897. PubMed

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Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Disturbed Coherence: Gate to Cancer